The intensive research performed by the Committee will be presented in addition to the resulting proposals, developed by Committee consensus and submitted to the ICC Code Development Process. The changes were submitted to ICC in accordance with the January 8, 2018 deadline and will be considered during Committee Action Hearings from April 15 – 25, 2018.

In early 2016, the ICC Board of Directors approved the creation of an ad hoc committee to explore the building science of tall wood buildings with the scope being to investigate the feasibility of and take action to develop code changes for tall wood buildings. Since that time, the Tall Wood Building (TWB) Ad Hoc Committee has reviewed voluminous materials regarding tall wood buildings, including results of various testing around the world, as well as studies domestically in support of the TWB charge to conduct a thorough review of the science of tall wood. The TWB developed its own test scenario(s) to substantiate any code change proposals (testing was carried out at ATF labs); and worked to develop a comprehensive set of technically-substantiated code changes for consideration during the 2018 Group A code development process. The intensive research performed by the Committee will be presented in addition to the resulting proposals, developed by Committee consensus and submitted to the ICC Code Development Process. The changes were submitted to ICC in accordance with the January 8, 2018 deadline and will be considered during Committee Action Hearings from April 15 – 25, 2018.

Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this course participants will be able to:
1. Identify the make-up of the TWB Ad Hoc Committee and the process used to reach consensus on proposed code changes.
2. Recognize how the new types of construction compare with existing types of construction in the International Building Code and specify the inherent differences and conservative approaches the new types have.
3. Understand the process by which the allowable heights, areas, and number of stories permitted for the proposed mass timber types of construction were developed and will be able to utilize the information for building design.
4. State the fire resistance requirements for mass timber building elements. Further, they will be able to distinguish when and where non-combustible protection can be omitted.

Paul Coats, PE, CBO, is the Southeast Regional Manager for the American Wood Council, which produces code-referenced design standards such as the National Design Specification® for Wood Construction and the Wood Frame Construction Manual. A graduate of Purdue University, Paul has over 25 years of experience with codes, including building inspection, plan review, engineering, and consulting. He routinely assists code officials and designers and participates in national and state-level code development activities. Prior to joining AWC, Paul was on the Code Development Staff of BOCA International, a legacy organization of the International Code Council.

Sam W Francis, C.B.O., Senior Director for National ProgramsSam is the AWC Senior Director for National Programs, formerly being a Regional Director with AWC (American Wood Council) covering the northeastern United States. He is a CABO certified building official, and has nearly 20 years of experience as a building code official. He also served on the Ohio Construction Industry Certification Board, and the National Construction Code Inspector Certification Program Test Preparation committee.

Sam has also been very active with model code organizations. He has served on various committees with ASHRAE, BOCA, ICC and NFPA as well as several state committees in the Northeast. Most recently, he is a member of NFPA 1, NFPA 101, NFPA 5000 TCC/BLC/FIR, NFPA 664 and NFPA Fire Test Committee. In addition, Sam was appointed to the ICC Code Development Committee for the International Fire Code (IFC) and the Tall Wood Building Ad Hoc Committee. Previously, he has been a member of the International Building Code (IBC) General Code Development Committee and the IBC Fire Safety Code Development Committee.

Internationally, he has been a member of the Technical Advisory Group (TAG) representing the United States to the International Standards Organization (ISO) for the Technical Committee 92, Subcommittee 4: Fire Safety Engineering, and Technical Committee 59, Subcommittee 17: Sustainability.

He has taught extensively on subjects closely related to codes and code development throughout the United States and Canada. He is the author of numerous articles and publications on various building regulation subjects.

The PDF of the presentation will be posted 48 hours before the webinar, and can be accessed HERE.